Category Archives: SaaS

U.S. Dominates The Digital World!

I have spent about half my working life in the US and the other half in Europe. During this time (25 years) it has been exciting to see digital trends over the years. There has never been a doubt that the US has been a dominant power in anything digital – from the data center to the actual service delivered. Then came mobile and it looked as though Europe for a second took over the lead. Or?

In the 90s we saw companies such as Nokia and Ericsson dominate the mobile space. For many Europeans they felt they could not only compete in the digital space but lead. During the 1990s Nokia grew to almost half of the world’s market share of phones. Ericsson had (and still have) a large percentage of the world’s phone calls going through its equipment.

Early 2000 – Europe is at its height of dominating mobile. However transforming from devices and phone lines to consumer services – was not working. From Vodafone Live to all the other carriers attempts to become more of a service company and not just be a “pipe”. Yet all the millions spent – Europe could not quite get it right to build upon the momentum it had created in the most important platform of all – mobile. The US is starting to wake up. Mobile is important but playing catch up to the European companies.

Fast forward to 2005 and Google buys Android. One year later, 2006, a new era begins in the backend of all digital. Amazon launches AWS. Then 2007, Apple launches the iPhone. In a three year span -three of the most important platforms to deliver content online were created. This time it would not take decades to disrupt.

Many top executives from Nokia brushed the iPhone off like it posed no threat. Actually – I remember thinking similarly. Hundreds of phones were available. One phone from one vendor can realistically not make a dent in any type of mobile statistics, right? Nokia got crushed. The country of Finland got the dent.

Apple and Google took over the heart of mobile. Where were European companies when Google bought Android? Desperately trying to make Symbian into what iPhone brought? In vain. In fact – very few have ever managed to make an operating system or a platform with a solid worldwide ecosystem – like US companies have. Symbian was as close Europe came – but were bull dozed once the US woke up and realized mobile is important. Many build great devices – but the US controls the platform – thus far.

The same is represented in cloud computing which is the backend platform to Mobile and all digital. It is not only the tier one companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and IBM which dominates infrastructure around the world.

The second tier of companies many times outshines Europe’s as well. From Rackspace to Centurylink. As you are reading this you are trying to come up with the European names that are true competitors to the American side? Nope – this is not hockey nor is it soccer where Europe can actually win.

Why is the US so good at digital?

Great consumer services

There are two things I have always enjoyed living in the US. Great service (compare restaurant service in the US and Europe) and ease of use in most digital services.

No other continent has quite the same understanding of how to build great consumer products. Apple might be in its own class many times – but down to the start-ups – it shows.

Competitiveness and large home market

The competitive mentality in the US poses a stark contrast. Researchers even identified a gene in those that once emigrated from Europe to the US, which allows for higher tolerance of risk. Starting a company in the US is a given. Most Europeans are still asking what job they should get, not what company they will start. Europe also does not have the force from the society to be as competitive.

Equally most European struggle with diverse markets and different languages which overall does not help. I see this changing slowly as Germany, France and others are more and more embracing English. But even though you can cross the border between Denmark and Germany like you do Delaware and Pennsylvania – the differences are night and day.

Acceptance for things different

Some say that the acceptance of those that are different or unique – is what makes Silicon Valley what it is. Whether it is race, sexual orientation, origin or whatever – there is little resistance and more acceptance for those wild ideas that truly disrupt. I got my degree from Florida Institute of Technology and more than half of the students where from abroad. Many stayed and empowered an already diverse and innovative work force.

Venture Capital

VC is available in Europe. The mentality and idea of seeking financing is not as widely used by entrepreneurs. It is not as available. It is both due to a less mature VC market but also cultural aspects.

If we did not make it – buy it

Are there no cases where Europe succeed in delivering world class online services? Of course! Actually my home country Sweden, and in particular Stockholm is as hot as it gets in Europe. It goes from gaming with King.com or Minecraft to general consumer services such as Skype, Soundcloud or Spotify. Actually Niklas Zennström said just the other week that per capita Stockholm soon has more billion dollar exists than Silicon Valley.

When there are successes there is quickly attention from American companies. Many Venture firms are looking to establish offices in Stockholm and be closer to the action. Why – because US companies continue to aggressively buying these companies and most often a billion dollar exist – is to a US company. With more platforms owned – it is easier to gain the traction and distribution for future successes.

With IoT Apple, Google and Microsoft will continue to use their dominance in digital platforms to enter our homes like we have never seen before. There could be unlikely competitors such as IKEA whom could have had a chance – had they started early. However – nobody builds consumer services like US companies and few have platforms with the enormous distribution power they do. It is becoming more difficult to compete – not easier.

Being digital spurs more digital. If you want to disrupt and see the future – you have to be there today to understand what is driving the market. Europe as a whole has some way to go to catch up. There is light at the end of the tunnel though. In just about every ranking of innovation one or more countries from Europe tops the list. These “islands” of innovation needs to spread in a broader way for Europe to be able to compete.

Workplace Cloud Security

Our workplaces are changing and much of it for the better. Increased flexibility – pushed by cloud services – is behind many of the changes. Home working, increased collaboration – it’s all good, and it’s all delivering significant business benefits.

We know that. That’s so 2013.

But fewer than 10% of businesses know what their employees are doing on the cloud. They call it ‘shadow IT activity’ – in other words, activity that is happening on the cloud, within the business, which cannot be accounted for as secure.

Consider the disgruntled employee with access to company passwords through Google Drive or the careless employee with Dropbox access to supposedly secure files. Consider perhaps the careless celebrity with photographs in iCloud.

It’s in the shadows because we don’t know the threat. In fact, many of us don’t even know if we’ve been compromised or not.

The threat and the opportunity

For me, this is both a threat and an opportunity for IT. In the most opportunistic of terms, IT can stake out its position as the guardian of corporate security here. If the cloud has taken away much of IT’s responsibility – and potentially has put IT at risk within an organisation – then the risk of shadow activity within the business should give IT the chance to re-establish a position.

And there’s a business case – worryingly so. The threat is that our data could walk out of the door because we’re using file sharing and collaboration tools, often without regulation. Shared passwords, shared access – it may all increase productivity but unmonitored, it represents a significant risk.

50% of organisations questioned in this survey said that they don’t have a policy on acceptable cloud usage. With employees connecting to personal devices and carrying on the work either on their commute or at home, it’s almost impossible to restrict unauthorised SaaS usage – so would a policy help?

Governance – but what kind of governance?

Certainly, governance would be of benefit. Without IT’s overseeing of SaaS activity, the business benefits of cloud activity are almost wiped out by the risk of being compromised. There are businesses who have ceased to trade as a result of compromised data – so a balance has to be struck.

Innovation and agility need to be pursued, and it’s IT’s task to provide this environment. Therefore, shadow IT could very well be not just accepted but embraced, within a fast-paced environment. But governance goes beyond ensuring passwords are regularly changed and that leavers’ access is removed. It’s about a framework that guarantees both innovation and security. If we’re going to use the cloud to its full capability, we need to eliminate as many of the risks as possible – or the business case goes out of the window.

New Parature Release

REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT“) on Wednesday announced the Spring ’15 release for Parature from Microsoft, adding new capabilities that empower brands and organizations to deliver engaging customer self-service solutions across applications, channels and devices. This new release emphasizes productivity for customer service professionals by delivering insights “above the service queue” to help agents quickly understand, diagnose and resolve issues that customers may face. With this release, Parature will now be available for purchase through Microsoft Online Services — providing customers with unified purchase and support experiences along with existing Microsoft cloud services. The release of the service will be available in 50 markets worldwide and be offered in 10 languages.

“More and more, people are choosing the brands that give them unique, tailored and fulfilling customer service experiences,” said Bob Stutz, corporate vice president of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. “Parature’s customer-centric capabilities enable organizations to deliver personalized customer care and, when combined with the clear business processes and intelligence of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, give our customers the high-quality solutions their businesses demand.”

With its Spring ’15 release, Parature is introducing more than 30 high-priority features that will not only increase the productivity and proactivity of customer service teams but also give agents increasing above-the-queue insights to improve and personalize each customer experience. The service also includes multilingual and translation capabilities, Parature’s knowledge integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and the introduction of Parature’s highly anticipated omni-portal that will enhance enterprise service scenarios.

Since Microsoft acquired Parature in January 2014, Parature’s knowledge management and self-service technology has become a valuable addition to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution, with customizable integrations between Parature and Microsoft Dynamics CRM that can be tailored to unique customer needs. This progress and advancement of service capabilities through Parature has helped Microsoft earn top honors in the 2014 CRM Magazine Service Leader Awards. Gartner has also positioned Microsoft as a Leader in its 2014 Gartner Magic Quadrant for the CRM Customer Engagement Center* based on its ability to execute and completeness of vision.

Customers such as Chobani, nTelos Wireless and Microsoft OneDrive are currently using Parature to deliver amazing experiences to their customers.

“Parature’s Spring ’15 is the largest release in the history of Parature in terms of features and functionality,” said Bill Patterson, senior director, customer self-service solutions, Microsoft. “We’re incredibly excited about the capabilities we’re delivering here across all major service channels, including self-service, mobile, social, chat, portal and ticketing. Even more exciting is how Parature’s market expansion, omni-portal, multilingual and translation capabilities now enable it to be deployed in enterprises on a global scale.”

To find out more about this release, the Release Preview Guide can be accessed at http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/1/D/41D3D09C-1B6F-463C-BAC3-A0C5710A378B/Parature-Spring15-Release-Preview-Guide.pdf. Customers can also request a demo of the service at http://www.parature.com. More information and news is available at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/dynamics. Those who want to follow and engage with the Microsoft Dynamics Twitter community can do so at @MSFTDynamics.

About Microsoft Dynamics

At the heart of every successful business are the people who make things happen. Microsoft Dynamics designs modern business solutions that empower individuals with intuitive tools that allow them to do their best work. Our proactive, easy-to-use business applications adapt to the way people and systems work, enabling businesses to rapidly deploy and be forward-looking in an ever-changing world.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services, devices and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

* Gartner Inc., Magic Quadrant for the CRM Customer Engagement Center, Michael Maoz, 24, April, 2014. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Cloud Pinup: Comindware

For the modern business in a fast-paced, highly globalized economy, one of the biggest challenges is communication. Teams may comprise individuals from all over the world as managers seek to assemble the best possible combination of talents; and, of course, clients, customers, and investors maybe thousands of miles away from any individual member of the team itself.

The traditional businesses of the past had the advantage of centralized officed locations, which facilitated easy face-to-face communication. But they lacked the agility and adaptability of a modern environment, and of course they had only limited means for communicating with branch offices in other locations. Today, things are completely different.

While this shift opens up exciting new business possibilities, it raises serious challenges as well. Even the best project managers may struggle to coordinate large teams and adapt to changing conditions. And even when it works, this effort of coordination requires time-consuming status meetings and a constant stream of emails. It’s easy for crucial information to get lost.

Project Management & Communication

That’s why project management and communication products are such a crucial part of today’s business environment. Teams are at their most effective when they use a single platform (or integrated set of platforms) to do all their collaboration, communication, and planning. But this rarely happens. Instead, teams use a scattershot collection of different platforms: Thunderbird for their emails, Dropbox for their file-sharing, Skype for their meetings, Trello for their planning…each of these is a good product on its own, but they aren’t purpose-built for cross-compatibility.

The next generation of communication and project management services, however, is. These solutions unite all the tools a team may need into a single, intuitive framework. When it’s built right, this is an extremely powerful asset.

Take for example, Comindware which is led my team of successful serial entrepreneurs and award-winning developers with roots in several industry-leading software companies, including Acronis, Inc., Parallels and Kaspersky Labs. Their base software, the product that first put them on the map, was Comindware Team Network. This simple yet powerful product creates a digital workspace analogous to a physical office – it offers document storage, instant communication (in large or small groups) and a flexible infrastructure of digital “discussion rooms.”

On top of Team Network, Comindware also offers Comindware Tracker (a process-automation solution) and Comindware Project (an innovative tool for project management that attaches seamlessly to the Team Network platform) as well as Cloud Project Management Software that provides full Collaboration and Project Management capabilities in the Cloud. It is this cross-integration of products, not so much any one product alone, that makes Comindware noteworthy.

The nature of the 21st century work environment will be determined by the products that make up its digital infrastructure. In order to keep up with the pace of a modern economy, those products will have to be extremely adaptable, intuitive, and – above all – integrated.

The Recruiting Industry

Like most other established industries, the recruiting industry is being disrupted by new business models and cutting-edge technologies. From recruiting technology talent with a highly publicized hackathon, to handling graphic or even online versions or resumes, recruiting agencies are seeing new challenges and opportunities every day.

Yet, the goal is still the same; deliver superior talent to client organizations in record time.

Lower costs

The cost of all that paper and steel in those filing cabinets adds up. One of the big costs is the square footage of the floor space just to keep those files accessible. Even paper-based offices need computers. This means hardware and locally installed software, possibly even servers for client-server software, that has to be maintained, upgraded, and supported by a technical staff of some kind. And then there are the costs of either a catastrophic failure of hardware including not just replacement of equipment, but also loss of productivity, missing deadlines and jeopardizing client relationships. All these costs, financial and opportunity, look pretty intimidating from a cost-center perspective when compared to subscription costs of cloud-based software.

Additionally, the installation costs for cloud-based software are zilch. While the up-front costs of setting up an IT infrastructure have continued to decline in recent years, the installation costs of a cloud-based system are minuscule in comparison.

Increased agility

With cloud-based software, it becomes feasible to offer to support a client at a recruiting event at a college or by hosting a hackathon in a venue that has the infrastructure and insurance to support a public event. This type of support that can differentiate an agency from its competitors simply isn’t possible for an agency with paper forms, locally installed software and a more traditional business model.

Stronger relationships

Because of the flexibility to meet emerging client needs, recruiting firms that adopt cloud-based technologies position themselves to respond to the client rather than requiring the client to conform to the agency’s business processes.

This includes business process flexibility as well as special services like being able to customize online forms to conform to each client’s preferences.

All these adaptive practices make a cloud-based recruiter more valuable to its clients and, this in turn, yields stronger relationships that work both ways.

Enhanced Reporting

Periodic performance reporting, status reporting and audit compliance are often major sources of angst in traditional recruiting firms.

Online software providers know they have to have robust reporting features, so they are able to build them in because the cost of enhanced reporting capabilities are ultimately spread over a broad population of customers. Customizing local software is often prohibitively expensive, as is extracting data and building custom reports for clients.

Oftentimes, SaaS systems provide access for clients to log into the system and check statuses though a client dashboard without ever having to communicate with the agency. This saves time for everyone.

Flexible Staffing

With cloud-based software, recruiters can work from anywhere there is a broadband connection. This means recruiting agencies can hire talented recruiters regardless of where they live rather than having to recruit recruiters from a local population within the vicinity of an office.

This means recruiting agencies can staff their own teams with the best available talent, talent that already has experience with the SaaS software rather than having to hire local talent that has to be trained on the software.

It also means agencies can operate with lower overhead because offices no longer have to be large monolithic structures to house files and cube farms.

Seamless API integration with client ERP systems

Increasingly, SaaS software providers are publishing APIs for their software that allow for secure and seamless integration with client ERP and HR systems, which may themselves be cloud-based. This allows clients to be more efficient in setting-up and on boarding new talent after the recruiting process is complete. API integrations also extend to LinkedIn, one of the preferred online venues for recruiters looking for leads.

Sales-force automation (SFA) and customer relationship management (CRM) software have led the way online for enterprises. As more recruiting gets outsourced, more of the recruiting services available with be cloud-based. The handwriting is on the wall for those willing to read it.

Beyond Encryption: Solving the Problem of Cloud Security

When you store your data on the cloud, you’re entrusting it to a company that may be located hundreds of miles away. You’ll probably never see their servers in person, nor will you ever shake hands with the engineers responsible for protecting them. And there’s no mistaking the risks: hackers could find electronic back doors to access your data; a corrupt employee could compromise the system maliciously; an intermediary could intercept the data while it’s being transmitted to or from the cloud server; or the physical servers themselves could even be stolen or damaged. Even widely-trusted services like Dropbox are being hacked on a regular basis, rendering millions of users vulnerable. How can you trust that your sensitive data is safe in the cloud when so much of the process is out of your control?

Clearly, simple password-protection isn’t enough. A Google Drive or Dropbox account may gain a small amount of protection this way, but any competent attacker can get around a simple password requirement. In addition, most people allow their computers to log them into these services automatically, so if a thief steals the computer the whole storage system will be easily accessible.

Encryption

The most basic supplement to password protection is encryption, which scrambles server data so that hackers cannot read it. However, for encryption to work the encryption key itself must be protected. That’s why the more advanced security services, such as Cloudifile from Cloud Labs, employ a multi-layered system of data protection. This begins with the data encryption: Cloudifile’s free encryption system is in line with basic industry standards, combining RSA asymmetric encryption (2048 bits) and a Blowfish algorithm (256 bits). On top of that encryption, Cloudifile does not store the encryption key on its own servers, meaning the entire data center could be compromised and it would still be impossible for an attacker to access any sensitive data. Clients store their own keys, and so any attacker would have to get into two secure systems simultaneously in order to steal the data.

Even an advanced encryption system, however, can leave data vulnerable if the client has to open a brand-new storage account and manually import all the relevant data. Not only is the data-transfer process itself vulnerable to attacks; but residual data on the original storage server may persist in unsafe locations even after the files are “deleted,” making the secure cloud storage irrelevant. Advanced security solutions have overcome this problem by integrating familiar technologies, and here again Cloud Labs’ free Cloudifile service is a good example. Cloudifile is a Dropbox tie-in rather than a stand-alone storage service. Clients can continue using their familiar cloud storage system, but have it protected from all angles. Cloudifile users simply select which files and folders they want to protect, and the service covers them – so whereas many cloud-storage security services are akin to placing files in a secure lockbox, Cloudifile is more akin to drawing a protective boundary around whatever container the files are already in.

Why seeing is believing in the world of Cloud

Understanding how your server workloads are performing is crucial for a sound systems management. If you are able to look into your systems, you can deal proactively with future issues. By monitoring your systems and servers it will tell you that you are running out of disk space on one of your volumes. With this information you can make an informed choice to order extra drives and install them before a catastrophic event would happen.

Monitoring also alerts you of future outages due to hardware failure. The cases are multiple were downtime was avoided by catching through monitoring that a disk drive or disk controller was having problems. Each SysAdmin can recall a situation where monitoring and alerting disrupted his sleep but saved his business.

Without monitoring you would not find out about these things until they fail completely and the service is brought down hard. You´ll agree that is pure horror in an online business environment. Each minute of downtime is hard money you or your client loses.

In a virtualization scenario these risks multiply even further.

Though virtualization technology and Cloud in particular has changed our world for the better, it came with some significant challenges. The biggest being that SysAdmins now need to use tools to understand their infrastructure. “Seeing” or “Touching” servers has become virtually impossible. Cloud has moved workloads from data centers to, well, the Cloud.

So how should a SysAdmin deal with that new reality? The tech world always wants to learn and improve. Solving this problem is key to continue with an ever more virtualized reality. Cloud management and monitoring tools like ECmanaged are such innovative solutions.

As Cloud management tools are often SaaS-based, they are cheap and easy in usage. A good Cloud management tool will give insight into all of your on-premise machines and of your VMs and Cloud infrastructure. Regardless of the virtualization technology they use. ECmanaged is an example of such a tool. It provides this unified and technology neutral monitoring. It informs you how your servers and VMs are doing and it anticipates failures. Combine the monitoring data with an autosolver or automated management actions and SysAdmins will enjoy a better nights´rest.

Monitoring goes further than pure infrastructure monitoring. Performance, application and process checks are crucial data in an online business environment. You want to avoid scenarios where your infrastructure is up but people can´t access your webshop due to a front end failure for example. ECmanaged has combined all this monitoring data in a single tool and added the option to include customized monitor plugins. Because seeing is believing in Cloud. You can subscribe to a Free Trial to ECmanaged here.

About ECmanaged: Founded in 2012, ECmanaged is a pioneering multi-Cloud and IT management tool enabling users to take full control of their Cloud platforms and physical servers. Its intuitive design and interface allow users to develop Cloud platforms avoiding provider imposed restrictions. ECmanaged enables users to be in control of all their platforms and applications both at the implementation phase and afterwards. www.ecmanaged.com

5 Essential Cloud Tools for Your Innovative Business

Why these cloudware tools are a must for any modern business

Smart business owners are always on the lookout for ways to save money. One of the best ways is capitalising on some of the best free cloudware tools available to businesses. Sixty percent of small and medium enterprises are already using cloud-based tools. The cloud has made it even easier to store and access files, across locations and on a variety of platforms. You can even collaborate and share documents and photos with clients and colleagues. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to spend a fortune on clever cloud tools. We’ve collected what we believe are the top five must-have cloudware tools for any modern entrepreneur.

Read on to find out how these apps can grow your business, all for free.

LinkedIn

If you’re not using LinkedIn, you’re missing a massive trick. Not only is it a great way to find out a little bit of background on potential customers, but you can also keep up to date with news from your industry in the ‘Pulse’ newsfeed.

Endorse your peers for skills and encourage others to do the same for you. If possible, get recommendations from ex-colleagues and clients too. LinkedIn works like an online CV, so having social proof that you do what you say you can do is paramount for building new client relationships and growing your status as an industry expert.

Connect with thought leaders and professionals in the many forums and participate in discussions and debates. Having a LinkedIn profile makes you look like a serious business professional, just make sure your photo is business-appropriate.

Dropbox

Dropbox is one of the most popular cloud-based file storage solutions. Create a folder on your desktop that syncs with an online cloud folder. You can access files in this folder from any device, using your Dropbox account. Dropbox allows you to edit documents, play videos or share photos, from any device.

Dropbox offers 2GB of free storage space, but if you refer friends, you can earn a further 16GB of additional online space.

Your files are safe and secure with two-step verification and 256-bit AES encryption.

Gmail

Gmail is the go-to free email service for businesses around the world. Not only is it fully customisable and offers decent tagging and filing options for messages, it also offers 10GB of storage space. You can prioritise incoming messages and manage mail with promotional and social tabs. Take advantage of Gmail’s Boomerang system and schedule emails to be sent out whenever you want. This is perfect for dealing with clients overseas who may prefer you to email during business hours (local time).

Zoho

Zoho is a free CRM system for up to three different users, making it idea for start-ups testing the water with CRM systems. You can keep up to date with ongoing sales projects and easily find out your customer’s history. You can even find out competitor information. The dashboard is your hub for sales analysis and reporting, and you also have the option of linking with your customer’s social media channels.

Mavenlink

Manage your tasks and projects properly with Mavenlink, the project management software system that combines software and services into one powerful system. Advanced project management, resource planning, collaboration and finance management services are brought together so that you can keep tabs on every area of your business. Mavenlink offers excellent customer service, including 24 hour live chat, where you’re unlikely to have to wait more than a minute to speak to a human to ask for help.

In a world where many CRM systems offer similar tools, providing a robust and reliable customer support service is a strong selling point. A client is four times more likely to switch to a competitor if they have a problem with customer service.

Many of these free cloudware tools offer an upgrade option. This gives you further access to more functionality and tools. Experimenting with a free version of a cloud-based app is a great way to find out if it suits your needs and is a good fit for your business.

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